Edit: @trollbain's comment. was no other replies when I clicked
Well they did basically design the race to fill the slot normally held by elves in a standard fantasy lineup without being a generic copy/pasted elf race. On the same vein the asura take the gnomish tinkerer slot and the norn have similarities to a standard barbarian race. So yes they are somewhat elfin in feel but they have little else in common aside from slightly pointy ears. Although you could argue they have physical traits in common with vulcans too, pointy ears and I'd imagine green blood coming from a plant man.

Edit: @trollbain's comment. was no other replies when I clicked
Well they did basically design the race to fill the slot normally held by elves in a standard fantasy lineup without being a generic copy/pasted elf race. On the same vein the asura take the gnomish tinkerer slot and the norn have similarities to a standard barbarian race. So yes they are somewhat elfin in feel but they have little else in common aside from slightly pointy ears. Although you could argue they have physical traits in common with vulcans too, pointy ears and I'd imagine green blood coming from a plant man.

Actually, their blood is golden. They mention it in the book Ghosts of Ascalon.

I also do not like that already, people are finding ways to sort them from other players.

In WoW we have the typical "Blood elves are gay, Humans are boring, Nelfs are KOS"....

I hope it'll be different in GW2, that no race or profession and the people playing them will be singled out and hated upon...but I guess, seeing as it's people playing, that's too much to ask for.

I will not dislike any race, declare any race KOS and I sure as h'll won't feel annoyed with certain profession/race combos...

I don't have a problem with it if it is done in a good natured fashion, which here in the forums it is. However I do agree with you about hopefully the community does take wow's path and starts to single out a race. Which i don't think it will tbh since we don't have a factions.

I also do not like that already, people are finding ways to sort them from other players.

In WoW we have the typical "Blood elves are gay, Humans are boring, Nelfs are KOS"....

I hope it'll be different in GW2, that no race or profession and the people playing them will be singled out and hated upon...but I guess, seeing as it's people playing, that's too much to ask for.

I will not dislike any race, declare any race KOS and I sure as h'll won't feel annoyed with certain profession/race combos...

I always thought it was in good fun and general geek humor. I haven't experienced any one being denied any thing in game for playing a certain race.

At one point on a small server I used to play on. I'm quite sure I was the only (at least active daily) female tauren enhancement shaman. I used to get a kick out of joining a new arena team getting into the match and having my team mate shout over skype "omg you're a cow!"

I think the Sylvari appeal to people because they are such a foreign concept. Plant people born from a tree. A race only 25 years old. I find them fascinating....which is why my Asura is going to study them indefinitely.

Truthfully, I find all the races really interesting. My first toon will be a Norn, but I like the lore behind them the best. However, like most people will say they will have 1 of each profession, I will have 1 of each race for sure. Being able to play through the differing race storylines should be satisfying to the extreme! I'm really not a fan of the GW2 races vs WoW races comparisons though; While there may be some physical similarities (and I use that term loosely) the lore and story behind the races that you would compare are so vastly different. I think the biggest culprit here is the tauren/charr comparison; these two races are so vastly different... The only exception may be humans, and humans are.... humans... yeah...

Anyway, back to OT; I think some of it is the "elvish" feel some people get from the sylvari, some is how different they are from other races in other games, some could be people who just like nature based lore and stuff. So many reasons really. So really, to each their own.

I finished up reading the Edge of Destiny, and caithe is an absolute badass. Out of any of the faction "heros?" caithe is 100% who'd I like to fight for. Logan Thackery is a $%^# bailing whipped peice of crap. I'm not into char looks either, but I respect rytlock a lot more.

Sylvari are just awesome looking as well, and the dynamic where they know all these things about the world, but nothing about the customs to interact with it is super interesting. For instance, in ghosts of ascalon there is a sylvari necromancer who starts animating the corpses of some dead former friends of her companions and has no clue why it's offensive to them. Part of exploring the world to them, is just experiencing how to interact with the people from other races around you.

They fill the role of elfs. Many players default to wanting to be the skinny, effeminate, fancypants race.

I'm more of a Charr person myself. But...I dig on plant critters. The revised Sylvari pull off planticity pretty well, despite the elf shape. So now I'll either play one and be self loathing or not play them and let my envy get the better of me.